Shelly Kerr had laparoscopic Roux-en-Y surgery in May, 2001 and she says it’s changed her life for the better.
What led up to your decision to have surgery?
I had a couple of health issues. Being overweight played a large part in my having trouble conceiving a child. So my doctor suggested that I have this surgery, which might fix that problem. When you are overweight it shuts down your ovulation.
What was your life like prior to surgery?
My weight has always been a problem. I had been heavy ever since I started kindergarten. I tried everything — many diets — but I gained it all back and then some. The diets would work for a while but then I’d go back to my previous weight.
How did you find out about Dr. Kligman?
I had originally scheduled my surgery at a bariatric treatment center in Michigan. I live in Ohio. At that point I had just heard about the laparoscopic approach, and originally this center said they would be able to use this approach. But as my surgery date got closer they said they could not do it laparoscopically, they would have to perform a standard operation.
So I talked to my fertility doctor and she suggested Dr. Mark Kligman, who was a surgeon at a medical school in Ohio at the time. [Dr. Kligman is now the director of the Center for Weight Management & Wellness at the University of Maryland Medical Center.] So I set up an appointment to see him and he scheduled me for surgery very quickly. I had my surgery on a Friday and went home the next day. I went back to work within two weeks.
How has the surgery changed your life?
It’s definitely made a difference. I enjoy life more. It’s made me a more self-confident person. I feel a lot better about myself. I like to do things that I wouldn’t have done before, like going out with my friends. Now I go out dancing and I’m more social. I’ve been very healthy since the surgery. I still can’t eat as much as I used to before the operation, but I can eat more than when I first had surgery.
Now I like to put on shorts in the summer. I’m going to the Bahamas in two weeks. It’s the first time I ever though of doing something like that.
How much weight did you lose after the surgery?
I lost 120 pounds.
What do you think of Dr. Kligman?
When I first met him I thought he was confident. I thought he did a good job and knew what he was doing. He definitely stressed that this surgery was a tool and that I had to do the rest for it to be a success, and I believe that is important.
Interview by Michelle W. Murray
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